Keep on Going
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Lavender thinks about Hermione. Pre-Lavender/Hermione


**Title: **Keep On Going

**Rating:** T

**Pairing(s): **Pre-Lavender/Hermione

**Warnings: **pre-femmeslash

**Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.

**Word Count: **947

**Summary: **Lavender thinks about Hermione.

**Notes: **Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Charms Class. **Task:** Write from the POV of someone in the same class as Hermione Granger. **Prompts: **(restriction) no mention of the character Harry Potter, (word) table

Written for the Title Set Boot Camp.

Not sure how this turned into pre-femmeslash. I meant for it to be gen before I began writing, but it became a pre-relationship as I wrote.

**Feedback: **Yes

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><p>Lavender sat at the table she shared with Seamus and Parvati. She was tired, but she did her best to focus on what Professor Flitwick was saying.<p>

Her eyes lazily drifted over the classroom. They first landed on Dean and Neville. Dean seemed enthralled, and she remembered Seamus mentioning how much he loved the subject. He wasn't a prodigy, not like Hermione, but he still enjoyed learning charms.

Meanwhile, Neville seemed to struggle. It wasn't as bad as in Potions, mainly due to Professor Flitwick being a better professor than Snape, but Neville didn't take to it as he took to Herbology.

Lavender sighed as her eyes drifted to Hermione. The bushy-haired girl was busy taking notes, scribbling madly. She seemed to be ignoring everything and everyone around her, eyes and ears focused on taking in any information Professor Flitwick dished out.

Lavender continued staring at her. She watched as one of Hermione's long fingers absentmindedly brushed a loose strand of brown hair out of her eyes.

She remembered when she first learned how smart Hermione was. It was actually their very first Charms lesson. By then, Lavender and Parvati had become good friends so they were sharing a table, along with Dean. She, along with the rest of the class, struggled with the Levitation Charm. Not Hermione, though. It took her no time to get the hang of it. And then she had tried to help her classmates and got teased in return for being an annoying know-it-all.

Lavender didn't partake in the humiliation, but she remembered thinking unsavory things about Hermione. Lavender was a Pure-blood, and this little upstart of a Muggle-born could do magic better than her. It wasn't fair, and like other Pure-bloods, Lavender resented Hermione for it.

Back then, she couldn't admit it, but she could now. She was jealous of Hermione. Although she now understood Hermione worked hard for her grades, back then Lavender thought it was unfair that it came so easily to her. She had been green with envy, and because of that, she excluded Hermione from whatever the Gryffindor girls in her year were doing. Despite Hermione not really have friends at the time, Lavender didn't even consider reaching out a hand and being her friend. Now, Lavender can admit that she's ashamed of her younger self.

Her jealousy never completely went away, but Hermione's prowess urged Lavender to work harder. If not surpass, she wanted to at least be equal with Hermione's talent.

Lately, she began studying harder. She studied so much harder that even Parvati noticed it. Up until then, the only subject she really showed that kind of initiative with was Divination.

Lavender didn't look too closely at why it was important that she be at equal skill level with Hermione. She told herself it was so Hermione couldn't turn down her condescending nose at Lavender, but deep down, she knew that wasn't the truth, or at least not the whole truth.

With all of the studying, Lavender saw vast improvement in her grades. Even Professor Flitwick pulled her aside to congratulate her.

Lavender was brought out of her thoughts when she saw Hermione take a break from her note-taking and glance over her shoulder. Their eyes met and Lavender watched in awe when a light red dusted Hermione's cheeks. She felt her own cheeks heat up and quickly averted her eyes.

Lavender focused on her own parchment when she thought about what had motivated her to work so much harder.

Although it was nice when Professor Flitwick pulled her aside, just to commend her on a job well done lately, she realized she wanted those words to come from Hermione. She realized she wanted attention from Hermione, more so than from her parents or any of her friends. She wanted acknowledgement.

Lavender sighed. Any kind of attention, even bad attention, would be an improvement. At least, that was something she heard some professors say about students that acted out and got in trouble. When Hermione didn't acknowledge that Lavender was more than a ditzy, dramatic, air-headed, fashion-crazed blonde, Lavender looked for other ways to get the attention she craved.

When she saw Ron looked at her with interest, Lavender had her idea. Date Ron Weasley, one of Hermione Granger's best friends, and Lavender would surely get some attention from her.

It worked like a charm.

She didn't plan on Hermione getting jealous, had no idea that maybe she had a crush on Ron. That wasn't right, though. Hermione never really acted as if she was interested in Ron. In fact, she seemed more focused on Lavender.

Lavender's eyes found Hermione, and she stared at her beautiful fingers. She wondered what it would feel like for Hermione to touch her with those long, graceful fingers, and she blushed at her impure thoughts.

She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. Lavender really wanted to end things with Ron, but she didn't want to lose the one connection she had with Hermione. The redhead might be her only way to get closer to Hermione.

Her eyes moved away from Hermione when Professor Flitwick announced that class was over. She sighed, stood up, and gathered all of her belongings.

Hermione looked over at her and Lavender's breath caught when she realized Hermione's eyes were glued onto her breasts. Hermione seemed to realize she was caught staring because she quickly turned away.

Lavender stood there, mouth agape, while she ignored Parvati's incessant questions. Maybe Hermione was as interested in her as Lavender was in Hermione. Maybe all was not lost.

She just had to keep on going and hope this thing with Hermione would lead to more.


End file.
